Suction cup



Aug. 9, 1932. J. c. sTRlcKLER SUCTION CUP Filed Sept. 17. 1931 JOI-IN CONRAD STRICKLER, OF SAN FRANCESCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T'O AMERICAN CAN COMPANY, OF NEW'YORK, N.

`Y., A CORPORATION F NEW JERSEY siicrroN cur Application inea september 1'?, i931. seriai ivo. 563,318.

arates a sheet from a stack of sheets while rapidly vibrating so as to shake off any other sheet or sheets which cling to the engaged sheet during this separation, thus insuring lifting of only a single sheet at a time.

Suction cups are used for numerous feeding operations for sheets,Y stripsV andV other flat-sided articles, one particular use'of a suction cup being found in the metal forming art for the automatic feeding andseparation of sheets or strips in automatic die presses and it is for such a use that the .vibrating cup,

herein illustrated and lected as a with at least two elements described, has been sepreferred embodiment of the presso that relative vibrating movement may be had between a relatively. rigid part and a movable article engaging part.

An important object of the invention is the provision of a suction cup of the character described wherein the suction used for lifting 5U and holding a separated sheetorarticle isalso utilized for vibrating the cup during such separation.

A further important object of the invention is the G character described -which self-contained provision of a suctioncup of the is compact and ,and which automatically opens and closes vacuum and atmospheric -valve ports so that a vibrating movement is given to the sheet engaging part of the cup'during separation of it from a stack.

Numerous other objects of the-invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which7 taken y in connection with the accompanying draw'- J ing, discloses a preferred embodiment there- Referring to the drawing; c Figuresl7 2 and 3 are transverse sectional views taken through a vibra employing the present inven ting suction cup tion, the various the bottom of the cylinder.

. viewsillustrating different positions of the 4accordingly t'wo or Vmore sheetsv are lifted 6o when only a single `sheet is desired. The present invention is particularly concerned with shaking Alose any adhering sheets Which may be incorrectly lifted at such a time and this is accomplished by a vibration of a part o5 of the'cup Vwhich is the result of relative movement` between a movable and a rigid part-' Two parts of thecup are preferably formed as elements of an air cylinder and piston device which connects with the source of vacuum used in the suction cup, the position of the Vpiston relative to the cylinder automatically closing or opening the necessary ports to vacuum and latmosphere to effect a rapid` vibrating movement.

Such a suction cup may be suitably mounted on a conduit pipe 2l which is raised and lowered in proper time with the working 'parts of the machine with which the cup is associated. A cup frame 22 is clamped by 80 Vmeans of a bolt 23v to the pipe 2l and is formed with a cylindrical hollow section 24 enclosing a chamber 25. The vibrating or movable part of the cup is mounted in part within the chamber 25, this member` comvpi'isinga piston head 26 located within the cylinder 24 and a stem 27 projecting downwardly from they piston head and having sliding movement in an opening 28 formed in 90 The stem 27 isVv formed with a conical bottom 31 against whichan article engaging suction cup rubber 32 is clamped by a screw 33 threadedly engaged within the lower end of kthe stem and having a head 34 engaging the 95 underside of the suction rubber and squeezing the engaged portion against the wall 31.

VA.- stack of articles, such as sheets 41, represent the work designedto be separated by the suction cup, this stack being suitably sup- -cation with a source of vacuum and a port 47V formed in the pipe communicates with a similar port 48 formed in the rigid cup bodyv 22 adjacent and these ports communicate with a vertical air passage 49 formed in the side wall of the cylinder 24. A lateral port 1 51 'communicates with the lower -end of the passage 49 and connects the lower part of the chamber with'the source ofvacuum, this connection being made below the piston head Lateral ports 55, 56 and 57fare formed in the cap 43, to provide the desired 'connection betweenthe upper part of the chamber 25 and the source lof vacuum, this connection being above the piston. A central air passage 61 is formed in the vibrating member and a continuing and similar air passage 62 is fformed in alignment in the clamping screw Prior to the suction cup engagingy a sheet 41, airis drawnthrough the passageways 62, 61, 57, 56, 55, 51, 49, 48, 47 and through the conduit pipe 21but no work is accom- Vplished. The vibrating Vmember at such time is in a lowered position relative to the body 22, its piston head 26 restingagainst the bottom of the cylinder .24. As soo-n as the rubber 32 engages the upper sheet 41, this being brought about by lowering of the suction cup for a separating operation, a chamber 63 is formed below and inside of the rubber 32, the

lower end-of thischamber being closed by the engaged sheet 41. Fig. 1 shows this posi- `tion of the cup. Y J

Airis immediately withdrawn from the chamber 63 andV at the same time the suction cup is raised lifting the engaged sheet 41,

which adheres to the cup, from the stack.

Simultaneously with this action air is also' withdrawn from the chamber 25 and the atmospheric pressure against the undersurface Vof the sheet by reason of the rarefied atmosphere within the cylinder causes the vibrating member to move up into its uppermost .position (Fig. 2).

In this position a valve rubber 65 embedded in the plate 45 of the vibrating member engages the undersurface of the cap 43 and closes the port 57 cutting off further vacuumization of the chamber 25 above the cylinder head. At the Sametime a vertically extending pin 66 carried in the plate 45 is raised through an opening 67 formed in the cap 43 and a slot or flattened side 68 cut in the pin comes into position adjacent the opening. This slot extends above the top of the ,cap 48 and forms an air passage connecting the chamber 25 with the outside atmosphere. Air immediately rushes into the upper end of the chamber and partially diminishes the vacuum therein. Thereupon the vibrating member and the sheet held thereon drops from the position illustrated in Fig. 2 into the position illustrated in Fig. 3, this latter position being the lower working position of the vibrating member within its rigid cylinder. v j i 1n this latter .positionthe opening 67 is again closed by the unslotted part of the pin 66 andthe port 57 is uncovered. The air within the chamber 25 is again removed Vthrough the conduit pipe 21 and the vibrating member is again lifted into its upper- Ymostposition. This shifting of the vibrating `member from one position to another takes placevery rapidly andimparts a vigorous shaking movement to the sheet so that in the event that other sheets adhere to the sepa- .rated sheet theseY will be shakeniloose. The

action is so rapid and the degree of vacuum pull through the supply pipe 21 so relatively great compared with the small amount of air passing through the vent 67 that such` a shaking action is not sufficient to disengage -the sheet heldv directly by the suction rubber 32.

lt is sufficient to insure the proper separation of a single sheet from the stack.

The sheet may be removed vfrom the suction cup by any suitable mechanism, depending upon the kind of apparatus in which the suction cup is embodied. The chamber 63 thereupon being open to atmosphere the cup parts are restored to normal Vposition ready for the succeeding sheet engagement.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be 'apparent that various changes may be made inA the form, construction and arrangement of the-parts, without `departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I- claim:

1. A vibrating suction cup forarticle separation, comprising a vibrating member carrying an article engaging element, means .for applying' a pulsating suction to said-member and element to sustain the article and vibrate said member.

2. A vibrating suction cup for article separation, comprising a vibrating member carrying an article engaging element, means for applying suction to said element and-said member, and means for periodically venting saidA member to vibrate said member.

3. A vibrating suction cu for article separation, comprising a rigid body, a vibrating member carried thereby and having an article engaging element, means for applying suction to said element, and means for causing vibrating movement between said vibrating member and said body.

4. A vibrating suction cupior article separation, comprising a rigid hollow body, a vibrating piston member carried thereby and partially enclosed by said body and having an article engaging element, means for applying suction to said element, and means for causing vibrating movement between said vibrating member and said body.

5. A vibrating suction cup for article separation, comprising a rigid body, a vibrating member carried thereby and having sliding movement therewith and having an article engaging element, means for applying suction to said element, and means for admitting air to a surface of said vibrating member to cause vibrating movement between it and said body.

6. A vibrating suction cup for article separation, comprising a rigid body, a vibrating member carried thereby and having an article engaging element surrounding one end of an air passage formed in said member, said element providing a suction chamber in communication with said air passage when the said element is in engagement with an articlel to be separated, and means utilizing other air passages associated with said vibrating member passage for raising and lowering said vibrating member relative to said body.

7. A vibrating suction cup for article separation, comprising a rigid hollow cylindrical body, a vibrating member carried by said body and having a cylindrical piston head movable therein and also having an article I engaging element exterior of said body, suction means for conducting air through said Vmember from its engaging element, and

means associated with said suction means for alternately removing air from and admitting air to said piston head to vibrate said vibrating member.

JOHN CONRAD STRICKLER. 

